


In Return

by 6am



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Gen, Modern AU, and trying to make modern equivalents to how in game mechanics work. kind of???, best eternal friendship bracelets, just quick fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28594584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/6am/pseuds/6am
Summary: Dusa has a gift for her best, kindest student._Modern AU quickfic
Relationships: Dusa & Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	In Return

**Author's Note:**

> turns out being confined to ur bedroom for like a week makes it very easy to consume and in turn be consumed by new content. dusa best girl zag best boy. written in like an hour and some change so if it sucks! thats it!

Campus library is as quiet as usual, the neighboring cafe having finished the afternoon rush not too long ago. All the quiet does is serve to keep Dusa all too aware of how hard her heart is beating, how the chair creaks under her when she shifts and fidgets, and if the sound of her braiding and unbraiding her hair is as loud to everyone else as it is to her. 

Of course it's not, there's not even anyone else over in this study nook, and they'd have to be right in her space anyway, but still. Anxiety things. But even if the quiet hiss of her hair gliding through her fingers is as loud to everyone else as it is to her ears, the repetitive motion soothes her just a bit. She's got the time to fuss and try to calm herself down-- and the time to have several moments of such gut wrenching fear she nearly pulls out her phone to cancel the tutoring appointment. 

Which would be pointless in the way where it stops the source of her anxiety and then brings up a brand new one that's even worse. Leave it to old  _ Dusa _ to ruin the opportunity to pay any kind of dues to the man who gave her the  _ job _ that let's her  _ go to college and stay on campus _ instead of at home with her  _ wretched _ excuse for a family and--

"Hey, Dusa! Sorry I'm late. Again."

Zagreus plops into the chair across the table and throws his very beat up backpack into the remaining chair like he always does, startling Dusa out of her silent fit with a gasp and a jolt also like he always does. The jump start never fails to get her attention, but the initial fear never stays long. Zagreus always manages to make his appointments with a smile and usually some kind of treat to share, sometimes as an apology for being a few minutes late and sometimes, just as a gift. And as much as he frowns and squints at his statistics textbook he takes her advice to heart. His grades aren't perfect, but the way he grins and shows off his latest passing mark with honest thanks and sometimes surprise is almost payment enough in itself. 

He's sweet, genuine in a way that sometimes knocks Dusa off of her feet. Most of her students are civil enough, varying levels of gratitude for her help to pass finals or get off of academic probation. All of them except for Zagreus, though, don't make any attempts to contact her outside of their scheduled sessions and maybe a nod in the hall or a stilted conversation before class starts. 

But Zagreus has wormed his way into her near nonexistent social circle, primed for it by his slowly mending relationship with Megaera. He says hi and goes out of his way to do so, waving and grinning and even sending texts that have nothing to do with classes or grades. Most of them are just funny little things he sees, sent with a "look at this lol" or "this reminds me of you :D" or pictures of Cerbie III, his absolutely massive Great Dane that has no idea he's well over 100 pounds and insists that he's still a lap dog. Dusa isn’t sure she’ll ever  _ not _ be terrified of that dog, but Zagreus’ promise of letting them meet one day sounds much less scary with each passing day. 

In short, Zagreus is… nice. In ways that people rarely are to Dusa. Even though there's nothing keeping them together besides a weekly agreement to look at numbers and formulas, and that his father-- who he  _ loathes _ as openly as he loves anyone else-- is the only reason Zagreus is under Dusa's care. Despite it all he remains cheery and sweet, and it's still a shock even now that finals are starting to creep up on them.

Maybe it's not much, but she wants to do a little something as thanks. Something beyond a helpful tip or some of the leftover carrot sticks from lunch. 

"Uh… Dusa? You okay there?"

Dusa jumps again, hurrying to tie off the braid and plastering on a smile. "Yup! Yeah, totally fine! Just uh, thought we should go over the lesson plan here since you're getting busy with all your extracurriculars soon." She leans down to her backpack where it's on the floor to pull out her binder and the little wad of wrapping paper tucked away carefully. The planning  _ is _ actually important, but it's a good buffer for Dusa to compose herself. 

Zagreus, easy and trusting and excited for anything that isn't related to math, goes with the flow and works over the schedule. There are actually quite a few changes that need to be made, so it's not a total waste. Dusa is penciling in the changed dates when Zagreus catches her attention. 

"What's that?" He points to the poorly wrapped lump that had been knocked into view on accident, nothing but curiosity on his face. And a bit of blue on his lip from his Gatorade, but still. 

Dusa panics regardless, unsure if she should hide it again or just leave it. "Um… well. It's."

Zagreus' face lights up. "Is it that bracelet I showed you the other day? I know for sure Meg would wear it if it's from you, even though it's pretty cutesy."

Dusa grabs it and almost flings it across the table. Might as well rip off the proverbial bandaid and get it over with. Zagreus just looks down at it, puzzled. 

"It's for you!" Dusa squeaks. "Call it a, uh, like a… a… a good job gift... slash thank you gift slash good... luck charm..?" 

Zagreus is near bouncing with excitement, and his perpetually busy hands work carefully to unwrap the gift. He slowly undoes the tape and the folds to make sure the paper doesn't tear, gently shaking the contents into his palm with a furrowed brow and his tongue peeking out from the corner of his mouth. 

The bracelet plops into his palm, all black and red little rubber bands hooked together on her ancient rainbow loom over the past few days. Zagreus picks it up gingerly between two fingers, like it’s something terribly fragile and ten times as precious, and pinches the bracelet a few times. 

"It's so squishy," Zagreus says quietly, something like awe in his voice. Dusa can't help the nervous laugh, the way she starts babbling to fill the silence. 

"I just. You know. You've been doing really well! Honest! And I kinda figured. Since you always get me a drink or share your snacks that I'd make you something, and--"

“Woah, woah stop,” Zagreus' head snaps up, his eyes wide. "Dusa, you  _ made _ this?"

“Y-yeah?” The air slowly hisses out of Dusa's throat, chased out by the shameful heat that sits heavy in her cheeks and down her neck. "... is that weird?"

Zagreus looks at her, then the bracelet, and then to her again with a slack jaw that slowly morphs into a grin that has his eyes crinkled. "Dusa.” He laughs, almost a giggle. “Dusa I  _ love _ it." He fumbles with it, trying to do the clasp himself and losing every run of it. "This is so cool, how did you do all this? I'm never taking this off." The bracelet falls to the table, and Zagreus sputters another laugh. "If I can ever get the thing on, I guess."

“It’s just a loom bracelet, u-usually kids do it and stuff. But like, I just kinda figured? Maybe..” Dusa trails off and her hands shake, but she reaches over with her palm turned up. "I-I can help you if you want?" She offers, and Zagreus eagerly nods and offers up his own wrist, still grinning all the while as Dusa carefully secures the little clasp. Zagreus takes his hand back and twists his arm to look at his gift from all angles. 

"This is the coolest," he says again, "seriously. I always need another good luck charm, this is going to carry me all the way through graduation. I can feel it." His eyes stay bright, but his expression goes much softer, and for a few horrible seconds Dusa is afraid he might cry or something. But Zagreus just looks down at his new adornment and pokes at the rubber bands some more. "Really, thank you Dusa. This is so very sweet of you."

Dusa's hands crawl right back up to her hair, nervous and fiddly but not in the worst way. Zagreus wears his heart on his sleeve, earnest in ways Dusa hopes she might be able to emulate some day. This isn't teasing, or putting on a show. The smile she offers in return isn't anywhere near as bright, but it feels just as warm. Zagreus beams right back at her. 

_

Later in the month he sends her a picture, a shot that's slightly blurry since he had obviously taken it in the middle of a sprint but it catches all the important things. Zagreus is grinning wide, his cheeks flushed red, and his wrist held up to show off his bracelet. 

_ works great!!!!!!!!!! _

Dusa can’t help laughing at it, keeping it quiet even though Megaera is out of their room for now. The privacy gives her a jump of confidence, and she runs with it and snaps a picture of her latest project that sits on her desk, a green and black copy of Zagreus' own bracelet.

_ Friendship bracelets _ ? 

_ If that's not weird, haha! _

Zagreus replies before Dusa can put her phone down. 

_ yes!!! i always wanted some _

_ ur the best dusa  _ **_🔥_ ** _ im so happy were bffs :’D _

Dusa saves the picture and uses it for his contact photo, finally replacing the default silhouette.

_ Me too :) _

**Author's Note:**

> catch me on twt @its_6_am


End file.
